Warp lever for braiding machines



Feb. 24. 1925. 1,527,216

A. PETERSEN WARP LEVER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed Agg. 16, '1922 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

uuiireo ANKER IPETERSEN, 0F W'INTHBOT, MASSACHUSETTS.

WARP LEVER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES.

Application filed August 16, 1922. Serial No. 582,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amman PETERSEN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of lVinthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in arp Levers for Braiding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention concerns circular braiding machines of that type having two series of bobbins mounted respectively upon rotary supports and revolving in opposite directions, and provided with oscillatory warp levers for causing the threads of one series to pass alternately over and under successive bobbins of the other series, and relates more particularly to the lever devices and associated parts.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved warp lever of light weight yet of sufficient strength to perform its intended function and which can be produced easily and at low cost, together with a guide for supporting such lever during its oscillatory movement so constructed and arranged as to oppose little resistance to the movement of the lever.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view ofia braiding machine of that type in which two series of threadcarriers are revolved in opposite directions, and showing the warp thread lever and guide member of the present invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a line such as 22 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig d is a vertical cross section on a line such as 4.4 of Fig. 2 to smaller scale and omitting the thread lever and associated parts;

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the rotating support upon which the outer orwarp series of thread carriers is mounted. The relatively stationary cam cylinder 2 is arranged concentrically with the member 1 and is provided with a cam slot or groove having portions such as'3 substantially parallel with and adjacent to the lower edge of the cam member 2, other portions 3 substantially parallel with and adjacent to the upper edge of the cam memher, and inclined portions 3 connecting the. parts 3 and 3*, all in usual and well kHOWIll series of brackets 4, only one of these brackets being illustrated. Each of the brackets 41- is provided with a pivot pin 5 at its outer extremity upon which is pivotally secured one end of a warp thread lever 6. In ac cordance with the present invention, this lever is of blade-like form, being made from sheet material such as steel of substantially uniform thickness from end to end and preferably highly resilient. This lever is cylindrically curved on an arc concentric with the inner face of the cam member 2. The outer end of the lever 6 is provided with a thread guiding element, shown as an open notch 7, and at a point substantially midway of its length an outstanding pivot pin 8 is fixed. A cam follower 9 of suitable configuration is pivotally mounted upon the pin 8, a washer 10 preferably being interposed between the outer surface of blade or lever 6 and the inner wall of the member 2. The lever blade 6 is slotted longitudinally as indicated at 11 between its free extremity and a point adjacent to the cam follower. A bracket 12 is secured by means of screws 13 to the peripheral surface of the member 1 and has an outstanding part 14 which is elongate in a vertical direction and is provided with an outer arcuate face 15. A series of plugs 16 of some absorbent material, as for example wood, are secured in openings in the member 14 and the ends of these plugs project slightly beyond the face 15 and collectively constituting a guide surface of curved contour. This guide surface as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, engages the lever blade 6 at a point between the fulcrum 5 thereof and the cam follower 9. The plugs 16 are preferably soaked with oil or other suitable lubricating medium before insertion in the member 14 and may if desired, be supplied with additional oil from time to time as is necessary. A thread guiding finger 17 is preferably secured in the head of the pivot pin 15 and serves to guide the thread on its way from the bobbin to the notch 7.

In the operation of the device, the memher 1 rotates, carrying with it the bracket a and the bracket 12. The lever blade 6 is thus moved bodily with respect to the cam member 2 as the follower 9 travels along the cam groove thereby imparting an up-and-down oscillating movement to the manner. Projecting outwardly from th blade 6. This movement of the blade causes peripheral surface of the member 1 are a the yarn which engages the notch 7 to travel subjected.

up and downas is necessary in machines of this character for passing it alternately above and below the thread carriers of the. inner series. As the cam follower is. set at an intermediate point in the curved lever, the cam follower'must describe a surface of substantially pherical curvature and in order that the follower may' fit snugly in the cam groove at all times the inclined portions 3 otthe groove are, deeper at points intermediate their lengths than. are the portions 3. and 3" of the groove, as indicated in Fig. i wherein such difference in depth is somewhat exaggerated for purposes of illustration. The surface of the blade 6 which engages the antitriction members 16, also describes a spherical surface so that it is thus necessary that-the engaging faces of the members 16. collectively form a surface curved in a vertical plane, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In warp levers as heretofore constructed it has commonly been attempted to secure the desired resiliency by securing a flexible member. carrying. the thread guide to a relatively rigid part having .a pivotal bearing forthe lever. lVith such arrangements it iseXceedin-gly. difiicult to temper the resili ent part after its attachment to the rigid member or properlyto secure itto the latter, it previously tempered. In accordance with. thetpresent invention the lever may be made by a stamping operation, thus re ducing the cost. to a minimum and permitting the tempering of the lever as a whole. The lever thus formed is highly resilient and provides the necessary tension upon. the yarn at. all times,the slot 11 serving. to increase theresiliencyof the outer end ofthe lever. In order to avoid detractingzfromthe resiliency ofthe lever so far as. possible, while at the same time reducing the friction between it and the guide to a minimum, the guidemember: is disposed at a point between the cam follower and the fulcrum. As thus arranged, the guide memberfurnishes the necessary support to the. lever requisite to prevent the vcam follower from being dislodged from its groove as the. lever is flexed-under varying yarn tension, but without cramping the latter orcpreventinig. its free bending under un- USIldlstBDSlOH to which the threadma'y be At the same time by the use of theoil absorbent'members 16 constituting the wear surface of the guide member,

itispossible to-reduce friction to a minimum and-tolincrease the life OfbllG-IQVBIS very materially.

VVhatI claimand desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent oiithe United States is I 1. A .warp lever for use in a circular bradmgx machine comprising an integral elongate resilient blade of substantially uniform thickness from endoto end fulcrumed and guide means engaging the blade intermediate its ends.

3. A warp lever for use in a circular braiding machine comprising an integral elongate resilient steel blade having a thread guiding notch in one end and a pivotal support adjacent to the other, and a cam engaging member secured to said blade at a point intermediate said notch and support, said blade being curved from end'tov end on an arc concentric with the axis of the machine.

4. A warp lever for braiding machine comprising an integral elongate blade of resilient material having a thread guiding I notch at one end, said blade being cylindrically curved-from endto end,a pivotal support at the other end, and acam engaging-element ata point substantially midway of its length, said blade beingmore flexible at that portion lying between the notched end and said cam engaging element than between the latter and thepivotal support.

5. A warp lever fora circularbraiding machine comprising an integral elongatebladeof resilient material andof substantially uni'liorm thickness from end to end having a thread guide at one end and pivotal supporting means at the other, said blade beingcurved fromend to endon an arc concentric with the axis of the machine, and a cam engaging element secured to the blade at a point ad acent its. longitud nal center, SELl-d blade having-an elongate opening extending: substantially from its:

free end to said cam engaging element.

6. In combinationin abraiding machine a warp lever comprising an. elongateuelement pivotally supported adjacent 'to one end and'having a thread guide at-the other, a cam follower secured to said element at a point adjacentto its center, and a relatively fixed guidehavingan antifrictionsurface. engaging said element. at a'point in termediate said cam follower and the pivotal supportfor said element. r

7. In combination in a braiding machine, an oscillatory warp lever comprising an elongate resilient blade pivotally supported adjacent to one end and having athread guide ant-the other, a ncamfollower secured to said blade adjacent to its longitudinal center, and a fixed guide having a series of lubricating plugs collectively constituting a surface engaging said blade at a point between said cam follower and its fulcrum throughout its entire arc of movement.

8. In combination in a braiding machine a warp lever comprising a flexible blade having a. thread engaging notch at one end, a. pivotal support at its opposite end, and a cam engaging element adjacent to its center, and a guide member fixed relatively to said blade and having a surface engaging said blade at a point between said cam engaging element and the pivotal support.

9. In combination in a braiding machine a warp lever comprising a curved resilient blade pivotally supported adjacent to one end to swing about an axis lying in its plane of curvature, said blade having a thread guiding element at its free extremity and a cam follower at a point adjacent to its center, and a guide member having a blade engaging surface curved in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of curvature of said blade and engageable with the blade at a point adjacent to said cam follower and between the latter and the pivotal support for the blade.

10.111 combination in a braiding machine, a curved warp lever of resilient ma: terial pivotally supported at one end to oscillate about an axis lying in its plane of curvature, a cam follower secured to said lever adjacent to its center of length, and a relatively fixed guide having a plurality of oil absorbent plugs collectively providing a lever engaging surface curved in a plane perpendicular to that of the curvature of the lever, and engaging the latter at a point adjacent to said cam follower and between the latter and the pivotal axis of the lever.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this ninth day of August, 1922.

ANKER PETERSEN. 

